House passes bill that could ban TikTok

In a rare bipartisan move, the House passed a bill on Wednesday to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner, ByteDance, sells its stake.

The legislation passed in a 352-65-1 vote.

The ban comes as lawmakers question if the app’s ownership is a national security threat. ByteDance is accused of potentially sharing user data with the Chinese government.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the House intelligence committee on Tuesday that China could use TikTok to influence the upcoming US presidential election.

What’s next?
The bill progresses to the Senate, but its future remains uncertain as several lawmakers, including Senator Rand Paul, oppose it on constitutional grounds.

They warned that the ban may violate free speech and impact millions of creators and small businesses. Around 170 million Americans use the short video app.

China’s officials have also criticized the legislation as “an act of bullying” that would backfire on America.

But, President Joe Biden gave a thumbs-up to the bill last week, saying, “If they pass it, I’ll sign it.”

Even if passed and signed into law, TikTok will likely take it to court, delaying implementation.